12 Best Quality Stocks to Invest in Now

7. Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 151

Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) offers transaction processing and other payment-related products and services in the US and internationally. Morgan Stanley analyst James Faucette maintained a “Buy” rating on the company’s stock, setting a price objective of $644.00. The analyst’s rating is backed by factors, which mainly focus on the company’s strategic expansion in the Value-Added Services (VAS) segment. This segment, which consists of security solutions, continues to witness significant growth. Furthermore, Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA)’s recent acquisitions, including Brighterion, Recorded Future, Ekata, and RiskRecon, cemented its capabilities in AI, digital identity verification, threat intelligence, and cybersecurity.

The analyst believes that such acquisitions are expected to enhance Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA)’s ability to offer comprehensive security solutions, which remain crucial in the current digital landscape. Overall, its focus on integrating such services throughout the transaction lifecycle places it well for future growth. Elsewhere, Tigress Financial Partners maintained a “Strong Buy” rating on Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA)’s stock, raising the price objective to $685. The firm lauded its robust market position and innovations in electronic payments and cybersecurity.

Bretton Capital Management, an investment management company, released its Q4 2024 investor letter. Here is what the fund said:

“Visa and Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) kept doing their thing, increasing earnings per share by 15% and 12%, respectively, with their stocks returning 22% and 24%. We continue to closely watch the evolving payments space as it seems like everyone’s always trying to displace the card networks. For now, we don’t see anything gaining much traction.”